#WeeklyWisdom and Top 5 Inspirational Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom.

Does aging bother you?

The only time age bothers me is when it takes a little more stretching to get out of bed in the morning or when I get pooped a little bit earlier in the day - otherwise, it doesn't bother me at all. The year I turned 25 was a lot harder for me than the year I turned 40. I know why. I was a lot of things but mostly the fear of the unknown. I was young, starting my whole life after college and had not a friggin clue what I was doing. But age 40, yeah that felt good. I finally felt after a brief intermission of 15 years that included a little bit of good, a little bit of so-so and too much shitty, I really like how 40 fit. It was finally a time in my life I felt good in my skin and was looking forward to the road ahead. I truly 'leveled-up."

It all honestly, you can tell people whatever age you want to tell them. Sometimes I tell people I am 10 years older. It really doesn't matter. What does matter is how you feel at this time in your life. A few aches and pains are tolerable as long as they are not in your mind or in your heart. Don't wait until the next level to make it the best level. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

Top 5 in 5: Up Close and Personal Conversation with Anne Elizabeth

Each week, I put out my Weekly Wisdom Blog which includes my Top 5 Nutrition Noshes: my Weekly Wisdom, my Weekly Conversations, my Weekly Hellyeah, my Weekly Kick Ass Jams  and What I Love Right Now. At the end of each month, I want to get more up close and personal with you all on the other side of the airwaves. I will be recapping my crazy, delicious and random #hellyeah adventures in my  Top 5 in 5. This month, I’m sharing with you why I didn’t attend FNCE and some random thoughts on human connection.

Connect and let me know what you think by emailing me or connecting with me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Nosh Three. Weekly #Hellyeah. 

My sweet, sweet friend Jason 'leveled-up' to a new decade and his significant other Justin set up the best surprise for him. I picked him up bright and early in the morning to entertain him for the day and it had to be the most awful day of his life. I tried to play it off like I had some amazing day of birthday fun planned for him, when really it was him helping me run random errands, going to a Cross Country meet and watching random TV shows...without any cocktails. Then I asked if he was ready to get home and I am pretty sure he said yes before I even finished my question. 

As we pulled up to Jason's house, the front was plastered with a little surprise. 

All the amazing family and friends who came to celebrate Jason. 

This cake is 100% on the money for Jason's Birthday and I am still in awe of the detail of this cake. I also just realized I didn't get a taste!

Hallway shenanigans before the party bus arrived. I get so much joy from seeing these smiling faces. 

Jason getting a little birthday song at Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar. Such a fun place to go in West Des Moines to celebrate any occasion and there were A LOT of celebrations in the crowd. 

Always take photos of any special events in your life. These are the moments you will cherish and will brighten any day you need a pick me up. My heartbeats are priceless. 

Nosh Four. Weekly Kick Ass Jams. 

My "Level Up" Kick Ass Jams of the week are available on AppleMusic and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

I couldn't choose between what I was loving right now. October is National Pork Month and Halloween, so my things I love are a combination of both. The National Pork Board has a wealth of information about the health and nutrition of pork. My favorite, Pork tenderloin, for example, is just as lean as skinless chicken breast and meets the government guidelines for “extra lean”. In total, six pork cuts meet the USDA guidelines for “lean,” with less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. Any cuts from the loin — like pork chops and pork roast — are leaner than skinless chicken thigh, according to USDA data. Pork steaks or roasts from the leg (“fresh ham”) are also lean choices.  And don't forget to cook it to the internal temp of 145 degrees for the perfect pork that stay juicy and tender, especially for the leaner cuts. 

I made this delicious Jerk Seasoned Pork Tenderloin, get the recipe here from the Pork Checkoff. 

Last month, some friends and I were talking about our favorite cereals and mine were Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Kix and Life. They mentioned these 3 cereals and I had no idea what they were talking about nor have I ever eaten them. Needless to say, I got a box of goodies on my doorstep this past week and guess what I am having for breakfast, lunch and dinner today for Halloween? 

The final thing I love this week is one of our Dietitian Picks this month:  USA Pears. I always feel good about giving kids fruit for Halloween but I think they were a little more accepting because USA Pears sent these adorable sticker sheets for the kids to make their own #PearMonster during our Trick or Treat event at the Fleur Hy-Vee. 

~AE

*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!

#WeeklyWisdom and Top 5 Inspirational Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom.

What kind of music or artists inspire you? 

I am a music junkie. When I was in the "upper grades" aka junior high at Saint Mary's Regional School, my slumber parties consisted of homemade pizza and lip syncing Cyndi Lauper with my friends and my sister. We also did a pretty amazing rendition of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" that won us second place in a local talent show.  Those were crazy fun times. And it only continued to be an intricate part of my life from there. From family vacations, still have fond memories of my personal cassette tape player or my high school days of driving around with a boom box in the back seat because my 1981 Pontiac Bonneville only had the radio. You can still find me with a set of headphones in my ears no matter the task. I never go anywhere without my music. 

Music is like a forever hug. It is always there for you and can catch your emotions and feelings exactly when you need it. It also helps me be creative and driven when I need to complete goals and projects. It reminds of people, places and happenings I love. It also reminds me of people who have chosen to not be in my life anymore. 

I hope you have many volumes of music you love creating the soundtrack of your life. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

Today’s conversation is with Jill Coleman, a fitness expert who is living her best life all through her passion for coaching in the areas of mindset, body and business.

In the midst of my dietitian career, I did what we all sometimes do, take a step back from all the things we learn and see what other approaches are out there to best help our clients. During my research, a website called Metabolic Effect caught my eye, in which Jill Coleman was a co-founder with a degree in exercise science and masters in human nutrition.  Her contributions to this site lead me to (a slight girl crush) and following her own business JillFit where she shares her down to earth approach to living a healthy lifestyle, awesome workout programs, inspiration and mindfulness coaching, her Moderation365 approach to eating and the podcast she does with her friend Danny Johnson: The Best Life Podcast.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jill

Connect with Jill on her website, , Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Youtube.

Nosh Three. Weekly #Hellyeah!

A night out with the girls sets my soul on fire!  Amanda and Brenda are such great friends. As Brenda would say:  we had a lot of funsies tonight. 

We started the night out early by going downtown Des Moines and tried out a new restaurant Dumpling Darling. It so happened to also be happy hour and I tried their seasonal Whispering Maple cocktail with pumpkin notes.  

Darling Dumpling

We were a little focused on cocktails but had to try a few bites so we got the pork&cabbage steamed dumplings and the cashew tempeh bao. Both were great and you can tell everything is made my hand. The dumplings were bursting will fillings and I really enjoyed the cashew tempeh mix and the spicy honey sriracha sauce it was served with. Highly recommend a visit!

Next stop was the Iowa Taproom, which is a little tradition Amanda and I started for our downtown concert experiences.  If you have read the blog before, I am a huge fan of anything in a flight and they have a cider flight. We will take 3 please! 

Mat Kearney did not disappoint!  I have been wanting to see him in concert for a long time and was very excited when I heard he was coming to Des Moines. He played at least 22 songs, all dance worthy. I will see him again in the future. Atlas Genius opened up for him and they were great too. There is just nothing like the vibes of live music with performer leading the crowd like Mat did.  

Nosh Four. Weekly KickAss Jams. 

That's right friends, the whole music playlist this week is devoted to Mat and my favorite songs from the concert. Find the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

I follow Sugar Makery on Instagram (you should too) just in case I need a sweet fix.  Knowing Brenda was headed my way, I saw they had posted their caramel apples and put in my request. I also requested a bag of their cheddar cheese popcorn because it is one of my favorites and I knew theirs would be amazing. Brenda did not fail me and showed up with 2 caramel apples, a bag of popcorn AND their macaroons. I was and still am speechless. I couldn't stop eating all of them. I still haven't made it to their store but I just downloaded their popcorn menu and I am going to have to pick and choose each time I go. 

The caramel apple was drizzled in white chocolate and then dipped in cinnamon sugar. Just to make you jelly!

~AE

*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!

#WeeklyWisdom and Top 5 Inspirational Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom. 

What are you waiting for?

What have you been putting off?  Is it a project at work?  An assignment in school?  Balancing your checkbook (do people even do that anymore)? Replacing a burned out light bulb?  Home improvement projects (like me)?  Living your dreams?

All these "tasks" go together believe it or not. If you are putting off simple things how in the world are you ever going to accomplish the big things?  You have to deal with the WHOLE to-do list, crossing each task off to live the life you want. If you're not taking care of things needing attention (including a burned out light bulb) you're living in a state of scatter.  It will be very difficult to keep your eye on the prize of the life you want to live because everything else is distracting you. Do not put things off, don't tell yourself you will get to it later. 

Get shit done. All of it. Even the stuff you don't want to do. If you don't know how to do it, figure it out or hire someone to help you.  Everything you cross off the list is just getting you one step closer to the deep down true life goals you want to crush.  

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

Each week, I put out my Weekly Wisdom Blog which includes my Top 5 Inspirational Nutrition Noshes: Wisdom, Weekly Conversations, Weekly Inspiration, Weekly Music Inspiration and What I Love Right Now. At the end of each month, I want to get more up close and personal with you all on the other side of the airwaves. I will be recapping my crazy, delicious and random #hellyeah adventures in my Top 5 in 5. September is one of my favorite months because I have been enjoying being home, spending time working on all things me and looking forward to fall. I also talk a little more about what authenticity means to me.

Connect and let me know what you think by emailing me or connecting with me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Nosh Three. Weekly #Hellyeah. 

I am a procrastinator by nature and it is an awful trait. I have tried to change it repeatedly and it never sticks. Sooo, I'm embracing it and rolling with it. But this week I did not procrastinate. I planned it and it was amazing. I had time off and had a honey-do list of home projects and things I wanted to accomplish. Then it rained and derailed my outdoor things I needed to do. Instead of putting it off after a minor setback, I rocked it out and feel so accomplished. I also look back on the week, wonder how I got it all done and confirmed with myself I probably never want to do it again. 

I have never made so many trips to Menards. Thank goodness it is right down the street. 5 trips, 4 days is a new record. I appreciate my Mom helping me with one trip to keep me calm. Did you know they have snacks at Menards?  That might have helped keep me calm too. 

I decided it would be a good idea to pain the concrete foundation of my house after living there 9 years. I also decided I needed 45 bags of soil to even out some low spots. Then I decided I needed a lot of energy and hydration to get me though this project. Thanks to Perfect Bars and MOCU Kombucha. 

After 5 rounds of paint removal, concrete wash, primer and 2 coats of paint, 45 bags of dirt and 1 bag of grass seed. I completed my outdoor project. Then it was time for a TV segment on KCCI for Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics bright and early Sunday am. 

September is #FamilyMealsMonth and it a great time to focus on planning more meals with your family at home each week. I shared one of my favorite meals we would make as a family. 

Tacos was a meal my family would make together, with each of us taking a task. I loved to grate the cheese because then I could "sample" it to make sure it was ok. You can find the recipe for these delicious tacos thanks to Hy-Vee:  https://www.hy-vee.com/recipes-ideas/recipes/tricked-out-tacos. I also love how Chobani created this new way to deliver plain Greek yogurt to my tacos.  

Nosh Four. Weekly KickAss Jams.

I don't know about you but I need music to pump me up to accomplish hard things. It gets me in the right mindset to get shit done and keep me doing it. Here are some of my favorite "pump me up" songs to help you accomplish any task this week - on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

I was excited to receive this in the mail this past week and a signed copy too!  I just started reading it and hope to have the author, Dan, on my podcast. It is so great to see Registered Dietitians writing books! Now, I am off to put my feet up after a long week of being a domestic goddess and dive in. 

For those of you who might be interested:  Food Sobriety by Dan Fenyvesi, MS, RD 

Registered dietitian, chronic disease specialist, and Fulbright Scholar Dan Fenyvesi was inspired to write Food Sobriety after years of working on obesity and weight loss in Nicaragua and the United States. After his own experi­ences with diet — and seeing his patients’ successes and failures — he understood that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, he developed a simple, inexpensive method of sustainable weight loss based on solid science and the traditional diets of Latin America.

~AE

*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!

#WeeklyWisdom and Top 5 Inspirational Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom.

How are you basking in the sun of the last days of summer?

I am not a fan of being hot and sweating...until September. This month, I cannot get enough because I know it is only a matter of time before it is gone for another 9 months and that makes me really sad. I do enjoy the seasons but it seems all the good ones don't last enough. 

My favorite thing about summer is the memories made during this season with my people. Even though the weather gets cooler, the memories are what keep me warm. I can channel all the amazing experiences I had over those short months and it truly is therapy for me when I am bundled up at home. I like to journal during the colder months about those memories and create my plan for making future summer adventures. 

There is nothing that will warm you up like reliving those special moments with the people you love. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

Today’s conversation is with Amy Myrdal Miller, a registered dietitian who through a variety of professional experiences, always comes back to her roots of being a farmer’s daughter.

When I was at FNCE a few years ago, I had the privilege to be there on behalf of Kids Eat Right. On one of the days, I was assigned to work the KER booth, it was “Meet Your Farmer Day” with Amy being the featured farmer. I briefly was able to chat with her in between the numerous other conversations she was having. I was newer to FNCE and I knew Amy has made a path for herself in our profession by the acknowledgement she received that day. Amy has had an amazing career with much variety and you can tell during our entire conversation,  Amy is passionate about being a dietitian but also experiences much joy in every thing she does.

Please enjoy my conversation with Amy

Connect with Amy on her website Farmers Daughter Consulting, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Nosh Three. Weekly Inspiration. 

The last days of summer have me wanted to save all my fresh herbs from my container garden.

Summer is the time of year I am inspired to tap into my green thumb and attempt to grow the freshest and most flavorful produce. Many of us have some type of garden during these beautiful, warm months. I am a container gardener and focus my plantings on a variety of herbs, Roma tomatoes and onions. At the end of the summer, I have a plethora of herbs I don’t want to say goodbye to. There is nothing better than the taste of fresh herbs from the garden. 

Most of us have experience with preserving fruits and vegetables from our gardens, which can be applied to herbs as well. Adding herbs to your favorite dishes, maximizes flavor and decreases the need for additional salt, resulting in a healthier recipe. Many herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and sage are full of antioxidants. Did you know ½ teaspoon of dried oregano contains similar amounts of antioxidants as a ½ cup of sweet potatoes? 

To get started with preserving the herb-tastic bounty from your garden, begin with the freshest herbs, right after you harvest them. The morning hours are the best time to harvest herbs because there is less heat and direct sunlight that can affect the taste of the herbs. Do not choose herbs that have flowered, as they will have a more bitter taste. Clean them thoroughly with cool, running water and then gently pat dry with paper towels.

1. Freezing. Chop herbs by hand or in a food processor and mix with water. Place herb/water mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until you are ready to use. It is easy to pop an herb ice cube in your favorite pasta sauce or soup. You can also place herbs into a plastic freezer bag.  Remove the leaves off the stem and make sure to press out all the air before sealing the bag. I recommend using frozen herbs within 8-12 months of freezing.  Freezing works best on basil, parsley, sage, cilantro, chives and mint. 
2. Drying. There are two types of drying methods:  air and oven. For both methods, you want to make sure your herbs are completely dry with no excess water present after cleaning. This can result in mold or bacteria forming during the drying process. To air dry, tie the stems of the herbs together and hang upside-down in a warm, well ventilated space, away from sunlight. When the leaves crumble, or around 1-4 weeks, the herbs are dried. For the oven method, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I do not recommend laying the herbs directly onto a metal pan because it will alter the taste of the herbs. Warm the leaves at 150 degrees Celsius for 1-2 hours, checking frequently. I like to keep the oven door cracked open a bit to prevent over-drying. Store both air and oven dried herbs in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. Dried herbs maintain the most robust flavor within the first year. Drying works great for oregano, dill and rosemary. 
3. Herb Butter. You can perk up your everyday dinner by melting it onto vegetables or on your favorite fish. My favorite way to enjoy herb butter is melted over freshly popped popcorn.  Let ½ cup of unsalted butter soften at room temperature and with a fork, gently blend the butter with 1-3 teaspoons of chopped herbs. Scoop the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and roll into a shape of a log. Wrap the herb butter tightly with parchment paper and twist the paper tightly on each end of the log. The butter will stay fresh for up to 2 months in your refrigerator, 6 months if frozen in a freezer-safe bag. To use, thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. 

All three methods will allow you to savor the flavors of summer herbs, add color and nutrition to your meals and save you money all year long.

After saving all the herbs, I headed to Malvern, Iowa to hold onto the last days of Summer with my bestie, Brenda. 

We spent the singing the night away with Matt Nathanson at Stir Cove in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I find so much inspiration listening to live music. 

...and dancing with O.A.R. There was a really cool storm happening right to the south of us. The whole evening was a perfect night spent with my heartbeats and I just felt pure bliss.

The next day we cruised around the lake. It was a beautiful Saturday with just the right amount of sun, sunscreen, great conversations, cocktails and times with friends. 

The day ended with the most beautiful sunset, an after-lake BBQ and a crazy storm. Hard to believe there was a storm about 2 hours after this beauty.

Nosh Four. Weekly Music Inspiration. 

Live concerts will always lead to my weekly music playlist. I have been a fan of both for a long time and I hope you find one song you are a fan of. Find the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

The last days of summer have been hoooottttt, so I have still be on the quest for the best natural deodorant. Damn it is hard and there are so many options. I have been continuing my research and this brand, Dr. Hauschka, has been on a few lists so I thought I would give it whirl. I am digging it!  I am liking a roll on version. I think it is less sticky than the solid versions I have tried and it has now made the top of my list with Tom's of Main being second. It has been holding up in the last few steamy days of Summer, so I will continue the test in the fall as the layers get heavier.

~AE

*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!